Maintaining Your Firewise Home

Much of what can be considered being Firewise is just
proper home maintenance. Cleaning up your yard, keeping the structures
repaired, and checking the overall condition of your property can
greatly improve your chances of survival.

Minimize early maturing grasses to
reduce the potential for rapid surface fires. Mow and rake grasses
during the growing season. Remove or thin shrubs. A good rule of thumb
is to keep space between plants at least five times their height. Prune
shrubs to maintain an open structure and prevent dense branching.

Prune tree branches to 10 feet or more
above the ground to reduce the possibility of surface fires spreading
into tree crowns. Thin trees to maintain at least 10 feet between the
crowns. Remove understory trees or space widely.